Daffodils Fostering Limited

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Daffodils Fostering Limited 1 Daffodils Fostering Limited Daffodils Homes Limited Suite 15, Ground Floor, Devonshire House, 582 Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 1JS Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This is a privately owned independent fostering agency, which was registered with Ofsted in 2021. The manager also registered in the same year.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency provides short-term and long-term care placements, respite care, emergency care, and parent and child placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, the agency had nine approved foster families providing care to six children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The independent fostering agency provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Daffodils Fostering Limited 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have stable homes and are supported well by their foster carers. Children have good relationships with foster carers’ children, whom some see as siblings. This has helped children to feel secure and to build trusting relationships. One child said: ‘It is amazing, I never thought that I would get this comfortable in a home. It is my home, and I do not feel like I am in care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to, and their wishes and feelings are considered when planning their care. Parents of babies also have a say in how they want to be supported to develop their parenting skills. Staff and foster carers always advocate for children and young people when they talk to social workers and other professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Support by foster carers leads to positive outcomes for children, as well as mothers and their babies. One mother was happy that she is now being assessed to return to her own home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children get effective support to prepare for adult life. Foster carers help them to learn how to look after themselves. One child said that as well as preparing them for the ‘big world’, the foster carer has helped them to manage anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in all areas of their lives, including in their education. Some foster carers are teachers who support children with educational needs and disabilities. They use their experience to help children to attend and settle in school. This support helped a child who had anxiety about going to school to take their GCSE examinations. They have a place at a college, and they are looking forward to going there in September.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers support children to enjoy a variety of activities. Some children also enjoy spending time with their family and friends. One foster carer is taking two children on holiday abroad.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers support children with their health needs. They take them to health appointments when required. A foster carer did extra training so that they could support a child with a serious food allergy effectively. They are teaching the child to manage their condition as they grow older .

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children feel safe living with their foster carers. Information in the children’s guides tells children about people or organisations they can contact if they have concerns about their care. A child who is happy where they live said that the foster carer is ‘an amazing person and a mother figure’. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Daffodils Fostering Limited 3 Staff, managers and foster carers use their knowledge of safeguarding procedures to ensure that children are safe. When there are concerns about children being at risk of harm, managers act quickly, and they share information with the relevant professionals. They also refer any complaints about foster carers to the local authority designated officer. This helps professionals to work together to put protective measures in place. However, managers have not consistently notified Ofsted of all relevant events.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are settled with their foster carers, and they rarely go missing from home. Foster carers found a recent training course provided by police to be helpful in gaining an understanding of what they would need to do if a child were to go missing from their care. This training was also a reminder of the risks that children can be exposed to when they are away from home and the importance of acting quickly to find the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The agency’s recruitment, assessment and training of staff and foster carers is effective in ensuring that only suitable people are employed or care for the children. However, managers do not always get references from the most recent employer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and skilled registered manager manages the agency. Foster carers and staff provided positive feedback about leaders and managers. They said that leaders and managers have children’s interests at heart, and the agency feels like a family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have put effective quality monitoring systems in place, and requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have been met. The agency’s quality reviews provide detailed information about what is happening within the agency. When available, this includes feedback from children, foster carers, staff and children’s social workers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is steadily growing, with more foster carers and staff than they had at the last inspection. However, leaders and managers do not have a written development plan to show how they intend to continually grow the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and foster carers receive relevant training and regular supervision. Foster carers spoke positively about the support they get from managers and staff. They said that they can contact staff and managers whenever they need support and advice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers recently enjoyed a social event where they had a meal and received awards for the good work they do caring for children. They said that they feel appreciated for the work that they do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency’s panel members bring a range of skills and experience to the role. Panel members have access to the training they need to fulfil their role competently. The Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Daffodils Fostering Limited 4 panel chair has been with the agency since it started. They are positive about leaders and managers’, staff’s and foster carers’ child-focused approach. They said that panel meetings are well planned, and the reports are of good quality. However, they are yet to have annual appraisals for panel members. The panel chair said that they have been planning these with leaders and managers. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Daffodils Fostering Limited 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

If any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 7 takes place in relation to a fostering agency, the registered person must without delay notify the persons or bodies indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 36 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should notify Ofsted if there is an allegation against a foster carer. 29 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the future of the service, either identifying any planned changes in the operation or resources of the service, or confirming the continuation of the service’s current operation and resources. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 18.2)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually, and, where they are working with children, this appraisal takes into account any views of children the service is providing for. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 24.6)  The registered person should ensure that they always get references for prospective employees and panel members from the right people, including the most recent employers. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards,’ 19.3 (d))

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Daffodils Fostering Limited 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Daffodils Homes Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Suite 15, Ground Floor, Devonshire House, 582 Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 1JS

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: james.jose@daffodilsfostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Daffodils Fostering Limited 7 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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